To put it mildly, Portland’s restaurant industry has been through the wringer in the past year. We’ve lamented the closures of many beloved eateries, said goodbye to some food titans (for the best, in some cases), and wondered where the hell government assistance was. In March the United States Senate finally passed the American Rescue Plan, which includes $28.6 billion in funding to support independent restaurants and bars.
It might be too soon to say the industry is in recovery mode, but for the most part it appears that we’ve made it past the worst of the pandemic. As restaurants gear up for a busy outdoor dining season, eased restrictions are on the horizon, and more frontline industry workers get vaccinated, things are on the up and up.
Changing restaurant models
Adaptation was the name of the game while doing business in a health crisis with ever-changing advisories. Food carts suddenly found themselves with a leg up, already set up in a take-away model, with some pods having the added boon of existing outdoor seating. Numerous bakers, cooks, and industry vets started Instagram businesses, taking weekly orders for everything from baked goods to noodle soups. Sometimes both, as in the case of former Yen Ha co-owner Anh Tran, who offers hot, flaky bánh patê sô from cheekily named handle Hey Chaudy and weekly soup specials through his personal account.
